Jingle Junction: The Commercial Consumption
by LittlePancake
Summary: Riley can't STAND that Triple Dent Gum jingle! But she isn't the ONLY one who's ever faced the wrath of the repetitive commercial tunes that can never be forgotten no matter how much time goes by. Everyone understands the struggle! But sometimes it isn't always annoying. Let's take a glimpse at what it's like to face these tunes head on and the different ways they can manifest!


So, this is my first piece attempting to get back into the swing of things. It's a little one shot idea I've had mulling around my brain for AGES and I thought if I'm gonna attempt to return, before I continue on with Carissa's POV, it might be fun to give you guys a fun little drama free piece. Just to make sure I still got it. So we all know about that dreaded _Triple Dent Gum_ jingle occasionally plaguing Riley's mind. But let's be real, the same thing happens to _everyone_ , with all sorts of commercials. Some people get annoyed by the constant replay of the tune at hand, while others role with it- sing it as they complete chores or drive to school. But how will our dear characters of _Inside Out_ handle it? Enjoy! And feel free to leave me some feedback, it would be very much welcomed. Also I want praise for this because in order to make the writing more real, for each character I had the corresponding commercial jingles playing on repeat as I wrote. **Also quick PSA: IF YOU ARE STUMBLING TO MY PAGE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME EVER, I DO SUGGEST CHECKING OUT MY TWO PREVIOUS STORIES BEFORE READING THIS ONE SHOT: _PUBERTY IS ONE *BEEP* OF A MESS_ AS WELL AS _HIGH SCHOOL IS A FXXXXXG MESS_ AS THIS SHORT PIECE TAKES PLACE WITHIN THAT VERSE AND INCLUDES SOME OC'S FROM SAID STORIES! **

* * *

Riley cannot for the _life_ of her focus on the words in front of her.

 _'Guys, this reading needs to be done by tomorrow!'_

 _'Well maybe if we hadn't waited until the LAST available SECOND we wouldn't be struggling to keep our eyes open and focused!'_

 _'Would you just chill out, Anger? I'm tired of your complai-'_

 ** _TRIPLE DENT GUM, WILL MAKE YOU SMILE_**

 _'GOD DAMMIT!' And THAT one is uttered in unison._

Riley groan's, dropping her head atop her desk, "... _Triple dent gum, I'm gonna' fail!_ ' She'll sigh, "I'm so fried..."

* * *

If Carl is completely honest, the deafening silence of a classroom during a test is by far one of the _worst_ things in the world. Math has never been his strong suit, he dares to eye Riley who flashes him a sympathetic gaze that paints the picture of _you didn't study, did you, Carl?_ And her gaze would be correct. He'd stayed awake until 3 AM playing _Super Smash Brothers_ with Jordan and Carissa. And that mishap is the reason he is finding himself in hot water right now. His tone is barely a whisper, "Come on, Carl, focus. You got this."

Thirty minutes until the bell rings.

...And still he is lost, completely dumbfounded by the math problems in front of him. But bless his determined heart, still trying. Still thinking. Until...oh no.

 _Oh no._

* * *

The leading blue emotion, clad in a light blue hoodie and baggy jeans is panicking, "Come on, what the hell is the quadratic equation?!" He's watching the time tick on by and sensing the stench of failure creeping closer and closer up ahead.

"I don't fuckin' _know_ , Sadness!" Anger will shout with disdain. He's under pressure, and pressure makes him crack.

"It's okay, we passed our last test. if we fail this it's no biggie." Joy is taking a deep breath, his yellow basketball shorts, even so, feel like they're constricting his waist with his unsettled nerves, "Everybody chill, we got this, man. We got this."

"No we don't!" Fear is sporting a pair of purple plaid pajama pants and grey t shirt, "I told you guys we shouldn't have stayed up all night!"

Disgust, who's looking rather dapper in his green button down with the sleeves rolled up and matching dress pants, "Hey, hey, all is fair in love and war."

Anger's head is fuming now, "THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE _SENSE_!" But oh no.

 _Oh no._

 _It's_ happening _again_.

Dropped down into HQ and projected right onto the screen before them.

 ** _Well, I was shoppin' for a new car, which one's me?  
_** ** _A cool Convertible or an SUV?  
Too bad I didn't know my credit was whack,  
Cuz' now I'm drivin' off a lot in a used Subcompact. _**

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!"

* * *

He just stares at his half assed attempt at finishing this doomed test paper. And it keeps replaying...it doesn't _stop_.

 ** _F-R-E-E that spells free,  
_** ** _Credit report dot com baby._**

"Are you kidding me..." He whispers to himself, watching students rise from their seats every now and again, turning in their papers.

 ** _Saw their ads on my T. V.  
_** ** _Thought about going, but was too lazy._**

He'll drop his pencil, place his hands over his face with a heavy sigh.

 ** _Now instead of lookin' fly n rollin' phat,  
_** ** _My legs are sticking to the vinyl and my posse's gettin' laughed at._**

The bell rings. It's over. He rises, turns in his paper. With a feeling of defeat filling every single crevice of his existence.

Riley will join him as they exit the classroom, "How'd you do, buddy? Was it really bad?"

Carl eyes her, shakes his head with a half smile, "F-R-E-E that spells free, credit report dot com, baby."

"Oh yeah, you _definitely_ failed." She'll place an arm over his shoulder, "Come on, lets go to taco bell. I'm buyin'."

* * *

It's likely one of the most nerve-wracking moments to date. Carissa is sitting on that tan couch tapping her fingers against her thigh.

A young twenty something year old woman comes right over to her and her other two band mates who are seated beside her, "Hi, I'm Trish Patterson! I'll be the one interviewing you for _Alt Indie Punk_ 's instagram page. Now, it's going to be really simple." She's speaking as she steps in front of each teen, shaking their hands politely and professionally, "We're asking a few basic questions: when you guys started your band, your influences, your inspirations, favorite songs and performance. This shouldn't take too long at all. Now our instagram has 1.1 million followers, so I promise you guys, this will get you just the exposure you need. So be ready!"

CHECK ONE, TWO! CHECK ONE, TWO!

John waves a hand in front of Carissa's face, "Are you dead?"

"Just fuckin' terrified. I swear to god suddenly I don't remember anything- who inspires me?"

John answers the question for her, "Eddie Van Halen because he's raunchy, kicks ass and doesn't give a shit and his riffs are insane. Just like you."

Right, she knew that one, "I'm just so afraid I'm gonna' screw this up for us."

"You won't." Claire begins, cutting them both off, "Because if you do? I'll kill you." She smiles at her little drummer girl, "Relax, you're gonna' do fine, Cariss."

* * *

"I've never been so sick in my life." Fear is taking deep breaths in her seat. Perhaps if she breathes deeply enough, the nausea will disappear.

But Anger, as the headliner, is shutting this all down real fast, "Y'all are fuckin making me nervous too, would you cut the shit?!" She's on edge more than usual, "We don't have _time_ for this!"

Disgust is in full agreement with her arms folded, "Don't worry, I remember the damn question answers. In order: When we were thirteen. Queen and Blink 182 and Jimmies Chicken Shack. Eddie Van Halen. We love when we cover Panama and our original favorites are _Thirsty_ and _Unapologetic Mail Man_ , best performance was opening for _Cretaceous Concept_."

"There's still a chance we might blow this and forget." Sadness forgets things all the time.

"One more word outta' you and I swear to god, Sadness-"

And there it is. And every emotion is dead silent, looking as though they've just witnessed a _brutal_ murder when that familiar classical sounding music begins, "NOT THIS AGAIN, PLEASE NOT NOW!"

 ** _I HAVE A STRUCTURED SETTLEMENT AND I NEED CASH NOW_**

* * *

Suddenly the only thing that floods her mind, body, and soul are those disgustingly repetitive lyrics with that overly dramatic operatic production.

 ** _CALL JG WENTWORTH 877 CASH NOW_**

"Well, that was _Aries on Fire_! You can catch their new single _The Comedians Are Hiding Their Jokes_ one week from today hitting their youtube channel."

 ** _I HAVE AN ANNUITY BUT I NEED CASH NOW_**

"But before we draw this to a close, do you guys have anything else you'd like to add?"

Always end it on a random note to anchor in the rest. And when in doubt, just say what's on your mind. Carissa stares confidently into the camera, she'll smirk, "Do _you_ have a structured settlement, but you _need_ cash _now_? Call JG Wentworth."

For the next three weeks, Carissa Smith is the hottest meme on the punk scene. Enough so, that at their very next gig, Aries on Fire will do a cover of that familiar commercial jingle. It hits over two million views on youtube.

* * *

Amanda is so terribly tired. She's laying atop Riley's bedroom floor, laughing like a mad woman.

Riley, who's laughing along with her will fake a groan, "Jesus Christ, Amanda it's four thirty in the morning! Go to sleep!"

"I can't! I can't do that I have a song stuck in my head and it won't stop! You know when it keeps replaying and replaying and you just can't get it out?"

"I don't care go to sleep!" And she'll take swift action in tossing one a teddy bear right in her direction.

"Okay, okay! I'm gonna'm be quiet now, I promise, sweetie." It takes less than thirty seconds.

* * *

Joy is absolutely hysterical in her middle seat, "I love this song so much!"

Sadness, however, immediately shoos it away, "Well let's stop letting it play, I'm so _exhausted_!" But just as quickly as it vanishes-

* * *

Nothing but the sound of the ticking clock, that is until, "... _Cellino and Barnes injury attorney's 800-888-8888_."

"Oh my god, Amanda!" And now both girls are laughing hysterically. They are entirely exhausted and for Amanda to just blurt that out entirely out of nowhere? Right now, that's the funniest the in the world. Their thoughts so suddenly clouded by that ridiculous add.

 ** _CELLINO AND BARNES INJURY ATTORNEYS 800-888-8888_**

And one final time between hysterics, the perky blonde will chime in, "Don't wait! Call eight!"

And Riley is reduced to tears, she can't even breathe with how hard she's cackling. Even the sound of Riley's mother shouting _you woke us up, go to bed girls!_ Will do nothing more than force them to muffle their laughter with their pillows.

* * *

It happens every time Jordan takes a hit of that bowl. The smoke permeates his lungs and he feels the relaxation taking over with each breath. And perhaps _everyone_ might just be sitting around at one point or another and finding themselves thinking... _do you ever look at somebody and wonder: what is going on inside their head?_

 ** _I was getting depressed cause of all the stress I was feeling at home  
_** ** _Had a poor credit score and the number would haunt me wherever I'd go  
_** ** _But I moved to a place where my credit could stink and nobody would care  
_** ** _I just wish that somebody had told me that place was a renaissance fair_**

Standing before is closest male friend Carl, is a shirtless and baked Jordan, " _Free credit report dot com, tell your friends, tell your dad, tell your mom._ "

But Carl rises from Jordan's bed, chiming right in with him, " _Never mind they've been singin' our song since we first showed up with our pirate hats on!_ "

" _If you're not into fake sword fights._ "

" _Pointy slippers and green wool tights. Take a tip from a knight who knows-_ "

And together, they jump onto the bed, rocking out like it's nobody's business, " _Free credit report dot come LETS GO!_ "

 ** _Offer applies with enrollment in Triple Advantage_**

...Just remember, at some point or another, _everyone_ indeed faces the dread of having a ridiculously catchy and sometimes _slightly_ annoyingly repetitive commercial jingle trapped inside their mind- relentless and unforgiving.


End file.
